IP Library Granted Patent US 7,878,008
Granted Patent B1
US 7,878,008 · App. 11/612,084 · Granted Feb 1, 2011

Smart rack and intelligent wireless climate sensors

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,878,008
App. No.
11/612,084
Granted
Feb 1, 2011
Kind
B1
Abstract

A smart rack having intelligent wireless climate sensors that detect and report one or more climate conditions is provided. The smart rack includes an enclosure that houses network elements and an array of intelligent wireless climate sensors that form a mesh network. The enclosure of the smart rack includes a console that displays climate measurements and notifications. The intelligent wireless climate sensors perform periodic climate measurements and detect climate conditions in the smart rack. When a climate condition is detected the console of the smart rack graphically displays the climate condition.

Claims (29)

1. One or more non-transitory tangible computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method to identify climate conditions in a rack having network elements utilizing wireless climate sensors, the method comprising:

receiving climate measurements for the rack from the wireless climate sensors;

storing the climate measurements in a rack database; and

processing the climate measurements to determine whether the climate measurements are within a specified range,

(1) if the climate measurement is outside the specified range, generating an alarm notification that graphically indicates the climate measurements are outside of the specified range and displaying redeployment plans for network elements within the rack, and

(2) if the climate measurement is within the specified range, generating a normal notification that graphically indicates the climate measurements is within the specified range.

2. The media of claim 1 , wherein the rack database stores position information associated with each wireless climate sensor within a predetermined radius.

3. The media of claim 1 , wherein the climate measurements are updated at a periodic interval.

4. The media of claim 1 , wherein the alarm notification and normal notification are displayed on at least one of an enclosure for the rack or a mobile device.

5. The media of claim 1 , wherein the alarm notification includes a suggestion, which provides corrective action that adjust the climate measurement to a level that is within the specified range.

6. The media of claim 5 , wherein the suggestion is graphically presented.

7. An apparatus comprising one or more racks having an array of wireless climate sensors for detecting climate conditions associated with network elements in the rack, each rack comprising:

a plurality of sections that include a subset of the network elements and a subset of the array of wireless climate sensors;

a console interface configured to display climate conditions associated with the plurality of sections in the rack, wherein the wireless climate sensors for each section of the plurality of sections communicates a climate condition to the console interface; and

an enclosure having one or more partitions for the plurality of sections and a mounting mechanism that secures the console interface, which displays a graphical visual presentation of the climate condition over a specified period of time and redeployment plans for network elements within the one or more racks.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each wireless climate sensor located in each section of the plurality of sections is assigned a three-dimensional coordinate.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein each wireless climate sensor is mounted to at lest one of a surface of the enclosure or a surface of a network element.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the climate condition is at least one of temperature, humidity, and airflow.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the console interface graphically represents the climate condition associated with each section of the plurality of sections.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the console interface graphically represents the climate condition using one or more colors.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the console interface graphically represents the climate condition utilizing a specified set of icons.

14. An apparatus comprising one or more intelligent wireless climate sensors for detecting climate conditions in a rack having network elements, each climate sensor comprising:

a memory to store the climate measurement and climate condition detection instructions;

a central processing unit (CPU) to execute climate measurement and detection instructions stored in the memory;

a rack database to log climate measurements in the rack and to store thresholds associated with predetermined climate conditions; and

a communication interface to wirelessly transmit climate measurements to neighboring sensors within a predetermined radius a display device that provides climate conditions received from the communication interface that is connected to the display device, wherein the display device is integrated into the console of the rack or provided by a mobile device configured to display redeployment plans for network elements within the rack.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the CPU generates a report of the climate conditions detected in the rack.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the rack database stores the climate measurements provided by the neighboring sensors.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the communication interface connects neighboring sensors to form a mesh network.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: IBSV LLC; LAYER3 TV, LLC; PUSHSPRING, LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; SPRINTCOM LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM LLC
Reel/Frame 062595/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 4, 2021
From: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
To: T-MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC
Reel/Frame 055604/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF FIRST PRIORITY AND JUNIOR PRIORITY SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
To: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
Reel/Frame 052969/0475 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 2, 2020
From: T-MOBILE USA, INC.; ISBV LLC; T-MOBILE CENTRAL LLC; LAYER3 TV, INC.; PUSHSPRING, INC.; BOOST WORLDWIDE, LLC; CLEARWIRE COMMUNICATIONS LLC; CLEARWIRE IP HOLDINGS LLC; CLEARWIRE LEGACY LLC; SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.; SPRINT INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED; SPRINT SPECTRUM L.P.; ASSURANCE WIRELESS USA, L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 053182/0001 →
GRANT OF FIRST PRIORITY AND JUNIOR PRIORITY SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Mar 6, 2017
From: SPRINT COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY L.P.
To: DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS
Reel/Frame 041895/0210 →